Title: 1) Owner and Founder; 2) Development and Artist Brand Manager
Company: 1) Novasearch Consultants & Publishing; 2) Gallery Zella
Location: Bryson City, North Carolina, United States
Zella Jackson Hannum, PhD, Owner and Founder at Novasearch Consultants & Publishing, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Business Owners for dedication, achievements, and leadership in Fine Art and New Technology Ventures.
Dr. Jackson Hannum has enjoyed a distinguished professional journey, marked by pioneering achievements and an entrepreneurial vision. Since 2016, she has served as a business development manager and artist brand manager at Gallery Zella, a flagship entity in Bryson City, North Carolina, that attracts over 60,000 virtual tour visits annually, with thousands more engaging online.
In this capacity, Dr. Jackson Hannum has built a legacy family business, transforming an initial investment of $40,000 into a sustainable enterprise with assets valued at over $1 million. Under her leadership, Gallery Zella has become a destination gallery, showcasing the artwork of family members for future generations and providing community support jobs, including opportunities for 20 local artists. As the founder, chief executive officer, brand manager and primary art sales consultant during the gallery’s first eight years, Dr. Jackson Hannum established its vision and mission, designed and scheduled profitable artist events, developed the website with a virtual tour and online store, and curated artists to match the tastes of the gallery’s audience.
Dr. Jackson Hannum has also been the owner and founder of Novasearch Consultants & Publishing in Greenville, Michigan, since 1983. Through this venture, she has contributed to the expansion of fine arts firms worldwide and to the commercialization of technology in both the United States and Mexico. Dr. Jackson Hannum’s expertise in fine art and new technology ventures is widely recognized.
In academia for several years, Dr. Jackson Hannum was employed by Ferris State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, from 2012 to 2014, initially as a mechanical engineering technology instructor for one year and then as the director of the Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Institute from 2013 to 2014. Having come from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Dr. Jackson Hannum spent 2007 to 2012 as a manufacturing engineering process improvement researcher, advancing research in process optimization.
Dr. Jackson Hannum also gained experience in consulting, serving as a tech-based entrepreneurship field researcher and consultant for the North American Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education Initiative in McAllen, Texas, from 2008 to 2009. She also worked in management, serving as a business development manager at The GreenHouse Gallery in San Antonio, Texas, between 2004 and 2006, and as a content and e-learning manager at Gallery Row in Reno, Nevada, between 2002 and 2004. Earlier, Dr. Jackson Hannum served as business development manager for Maestro Pedestals in Rohnert Park, California, from 2001 to 2002.
Beginning her career at IBM, Dr. Jackson Hannum joined the general products division as a systems operations manager, becoming the first woman, the first African American, and the youngest person ever to hold that position, managing a team of 40 systems analysts before reaching age 30. She was then recruited by Dow Chemical Company, where she developed new markets for reverse osmosis technology.
Dr. Jackson Hannum’s academic credentials are extensive and include a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering in 1974, a Master of Business Administration in production control and manufacturing process design in 1975, and a Master of Science in mechanical engineering in 2007 from Michigan State University (MSU). Subsequently, she earned a Doctor of Philosophy in mechanical engineering and business from Western Michigan University in 2012. Notably, Dr. Jackson Hannum was the first African American and first woman to graduate from MSU with a degree in mechanical engineering. Beyond her degrees, her commitment to education is further demonstrated by her California Community College lifetime teaching credential in engineering, awarded by the California Community College Board of Certification.
Civic engagement has been central throughout Dr. Jackson Hannum’s life. She created a student symposium featuring art experts and competitions that fostered innovation among new-generation startups and young artists. These initiatives have had a lasting impact on participants’ careers and the broader community. As a contributor to scholarship funds for high-achieving high school students through Gallery Zella’s art auction events, Dr. Jackson Hannum has supported educational advancement for emerging talent.
Beyond her executive roles, Dr. Jackson Hannum is a bestselling author whose book “The Art of Selling Art” has sold more than 50,000 copies. She has published five books and co-authored a sixth, while contributing over 100 articles to various magazines. Dr. Jackson Hannum’s writing complements her reputation as a global speaker and expert witness.
Dr. Jackson Hannum’s accolades include the National Science Foundation Professoriate Award and the Career Woman of the Year Award from the state of Hawaii. She attributes her success to a strong intellect, talent, and to surrounding herself with high-minded individuals who inspire excellence.
Born in Troy, Michigan, and raised in Detroit’s inner city, Dr. Jackson Hannum’s life reflects an evolution from humble beginnings to global influence through higher education, travel across 30 states and more than a dozen countries, including 15 years living in Hawaii, and immersion in diverse cultures via museums, cathedrals, galleries and festivals worldwide. Grateful for her accomplishments, she appreciates the ongoing support of her husband and family, as well as an extended family network that now helps operate Gallery Zella.
A passionate fine art photographer and promising painter, Dr. Jackson Hannum continues her formal studies under accomplished instructors and finds continuous inspiration in her surroundings. Looking ahead, she plans to open Studio Zella, a space dedicated to showcasing emerging artists, including herself, and collaborate with local organizations on initiatives like the Smoky Mountain Arts Festival, while supporting nonprofit causes like Smoky Mountain Community Theatre through donations from her work. Dr. Jackson Hannum also intends to write an updated edition of her bestselling book focused on empowering others within their hometowns through art sales expertise while fostering scholarship endowments for future generations.
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